Lebanese Shi'ites: 66% Want Army to Hold Hezbollah Weapons

66.4% of Lebanese Shi'ites now support handing Hezbollah's weapons over to the state, according to a September survey conducted by Statistics Lebanon. The poll, which included 800 respondents, indicates a major shift in sentiment within the community that has traditionally formed the backbone of the militant group's support. In contrast, only 29.6% of those surveyed wanted Hezbollah to retain its arsenal.

The results, reported in mid-October by Israel's KAN and the Lebanese website Kataeb.org, show deepening questions about the group's role. Kataeb.org noted that 71.1% of respondents believe decisions on war and peace should rest exclusively with the Lebanese state. Just 5.9% said Hezbollah's leadership should have a larger role in shaping the country's future. This data challenges the group's long-held argument that its weapons are essential for defending Lebanon against Israel.

Trust in state institutions appears high. Approximately 78.5% of Shi'ite respondents said they trust the Lebanese Armed Forces. Furthermore, 51.1% identified the army as the institution best placed to guarantee long-term security, while only 16.5% chose Hezbollah. These figures suggest a growing preference for state authority over the militia's independent military capacity.

However, the poll reveals a mixed picture regarding Hezbollah's performance. 67.4% of respondents said the group had failed to meet its goals in the war with Israel or had achieved only some of them. 42.1% expressed disappointment, anger, or concern about the group's leadership. Despite this criticism, 59.5% still expressed some level of trust in Hezbollah, including 37.1% who reported a great deal of trust. Roi Kais of KAN observed that the support networks and status Hezbollah provides still sustain its strength as long as no other entity fills the vacuum.

The findings stand in sharp contrast to earlier data. In a May 2026 survey cited by researchers Orna Mizrahi and Moran Levanoni at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, 87.5% of Shi'ite respondents opposed disarming Hezbollah, with only 7.9% supporting the handover of weapons. The discrepancy between the two polls raises questions about how differences in wording or survey agendas may have shaped the results.

Hezbollah has announced financial aid of up to $14,000 for eligible families in Beirut and its southern suburbs whose primary homes were destroyed, and up to $12,000 elsewhere. This comes after a new war broke out in March 2026, causing heavy destruction in southern Lebanese villages. In the city of Tyre, local property owners reportedly opposed the opening of a branch of the Hezbollah-linked financial institution Al-Qard Al-Hassan in their building, fearing it might be targeted in an Israeli strike.